Typical manufacturing processes leave a mechanical module at, or close to, the elastic-plastic transition. In mechanical modules that involve laser beam and fiber optic alignment being close to the elastic-plastic transition results in positional change or creep over time. This is particularly true if there are changes in the applied stress (such as temperature change or mounting deformation).
Currently a heating or thermal cycle is used to reposition the elastic response region. This process has only one degree of freedom and cannot deal with x, y, z, .theta., or .phi. (x, y, and z are variations in three dimensions, and .theta., or .phi. are variations in rotational dimensions). This process also is time consuming and still leaves products near their elastic limits.